UK babies set to receive heart test at birth

9th May 2014

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The UK’s leading children’s heart charity is delighted that all babies in the UK are set to receive a life-saving test to detect heart conditions at birth.

The Children’s Heart Federation (CHF) welcomes the announcement from Public Health England to pilot Pulse Oximetry screening on newbornsand hopes testing will be rolled out to all hospitals as soon as possible. This quick, painless and cheap test measures oxygen levels in blood and can detect over 90% of life threatening heart defects at birth.

The equipment is already available in every hospital and currently one in five hospitals offer the test to all newborns. The pilot, as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee will be used to understand the impact of screening on health services for newborns.

Every year over 5,000 babies in the UK are born with congenital heart disease. Left undiagnosed, these conditions may lead to death or long term physical disability for the child.

Anne Keatley-Clarke, chief executive of CHF says: “Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, yet only a third of these conditions are detected before birth during a mother’s pregnancy scan.

“This simple test can prevent many babies born with life-threatening conditions from leaving hospital without being diagnosed. Detection at birth means babies can receive treatment early helping to save lives, reduce physical harm and prevent distress to families.”

“We look forward to the test being rolled out to all babies as soon as possible following the pilot by the UK National Screening Committee to ensure that no baby needlessly suffers from an undiagnosed heart defect”.